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3 inspirational summer stories in Bremerton

You can feel fall coming. The weather’s
cooling, the colors are starting to change and summer will soon
end. But before it does, I wanted to reflect on three stories that
just flat made me feel good this summer in Bremerton. They’re the
kinds of stories that give you hope for humanity.

In the days after, the lone casualty appeared to be Tiffany, a
black lab and chow mix that could be seen in surveillance video
running from the Motel 6 as it exploded. But Tiffany’s owners,
who’d recently moved here, never gave up hope. Dozens of people
took on the task of posting flyers around town, creating a Facebook
page, and combing the area looking for her. Nine days after the
explosion,
she was found drinking from the Port Washington Narrows.

What touched me the most about this story was after the fact,
when complete strangers came together on a Sunday at Lions Park.
Everyone got a chance to meet Tiffany (pictured). It was a
wonderful story of community coming together, and then celebrating
that cohesion.

The mailman of Manette

I’d heard a lot about Norm the mailman before Monday, when I got
to tag along with him as he delivered on his 11-mile route. But I
was awestruck by just how beloved he is in the community he
serves.

On each block, a few homes, if not more, were in on “Norm
Day,” an impromptu celebration of his close to 30 years
delivering mail in Manette. From simple cards to bottles of wine,
he was showered in praise throughout the day. It was fascinating to
watch a neighborhood band together for someone like that.

Only here’s the thing: after walking with him much of the way, I
can say with confidence he completely deserved it. Norm is
more than a mailman. He helps people on his route each and every
day, as
I wrote about him in Tuesday’s paper.

Putting joy in Turner
Joy

Photos by Mike
Stitt.

Since becoming the executive director of the USS Turner Joy
Museum last year, Jack James
has been a man on a mission. The retired Navy Seal, who’s led
tasks like removing explosives from beaches in Iraq, is known for
thinking outside the box.

Earlier in the year, he came up with a crazy idea to swim from
the Turner Joy to the Boat Shed, crossing the Port Washington
Narrows — one of the swiftest currents in Puget Sound. It sounded
just crazy enough that I thought I’d like to join him. When else do
you get a chance to swim from west to East Bremerton?

We all know Jack’s a hard worker. But what was so inspirational
to me was his determination. Right before plunging into the water
Sept. 12, I complained about the currents and the possibility of
getting stung by a jelly fish.

“Look,” he told me. “All that other stuff, it’s just noise. See
the Boat Shed over there? That’s the goal — do not think about
anything else.